Words cannot describe this movie. Everything you’ve ever thought about food… all the pretty pictures you’re being presented with… all the lies you’re being told by those who profit from keeping you in the dark… If you want to know the truth, you need to see this movie.

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I literally just finished running my very first standalone running race ever and my first ultra marathon and won 1st place in the 100 km Trail National Championships (apparently it really pays to be vegan – ok, had to throw that one in there:-), please forgive my enthusiasm for the vegan lifestyle).

And all for the animals!! As a lot of you already know 100 FOR 100 was a fundraiser.

I, Andrea Kladar, a Chartered Investment Manager from Calgary, AB, committed to running 100 km to save 100 animals and YOU helped me reach that goal – you generously donated and got us to that $10,000 goal!!

Thank you all who donated from the bottom of my heart again!!

If you meant to donate and haven’t gotten around to it yet, there’s still a couple of days left. Please click the orange “Donate Now” button on the top right hand side of this page. Let’s see if we can get to $15,000! Thanks so much!!

While working on “The Last Heart Attack,” I had a chance to interview some extraordinary people around the country. Patients struggling with heart disease provided lessons that can sometimes be taught only after being smacked in the face with their own mortality. For example, I have never seen former President Clinton so candid. He was convinced he was going to die back in 2004, after feeling chest tightness during a flight back to New York on a small plane.

I interviewed cardiologists who believe we are so darn close to virtually eliminating heart disease. And, the truth is, it doesn’t involve spending any more money, investing in any more research or creating anymore tests. Rather, it will take a strict implementation of what we already know about diet and nutrition. It will also take brave champions to navigate through the clutter of confusing counsel, special interests and shoddy science.

One day, I had a chance to speak to a couple of those champions candidly while waiting for a shoot to begin — Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. I had read Campbell’s book, “The China Study,” years ago and remember how audacious he was in telling readers that most of what they believed about food and its relationship to health and disease was plain wrong. His findings changed the way people all over the world eat, including me.

And, I will admit, while I had trained my whole life to treat disease after it developed, I wasn’t medically trained in nutrition to be able to help prevent some of these diseases in the first place. Most of what I have learned has been on my own, since leaving medical school, and I think that is true for many doctors of my generation.

Simply put, Campbell’s research team found people who ate the most animal-based foods also had the most chronic disease. As important, people who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest. Campbell went on to describe the specific connections between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes and cancer. He also wrote of the ability to use nutrition to reverse these conditions – something that can start at almost any age.

Esselstyn took it a step further. “Sanjay, we want to make you heart attack proof.” Pretty audacious, I thought, but I couldn’t help but be engaged by this Cleveland Clinic surgeon, who was now devoting his life to preventing the diseases he made a living treating.“We are never going to end the epidemic of heart disease with stents, bypasses and medications,” he told me. That was music to my ears, because I didn’t want any of those things. Of course, it would involve essentially eliminating meat, dairy, eggs and oil – even olive oil. “Nothing with a mother, and nothing with a face,” the good doctor added.

Honestly, over the years, I have practiced the adage “eat to live,” not “live to eat.” Still, I knew it was going to be tough to carry out what he was asking. I started with a practical question for him. He was on the road traveling, and I was curious what he ate. “Thai food is always a good bet,” he told me. Sharon Kintz, who is a 66-year-old heart patient, joined me in Times Square to prove she could find a meal that satisfied her vegan requirements. Even former President Clinton says he is a vegan nowadays, and doesn’t at all miss the fast food for which he was once famous.

Virtually eliminating heart disease – it can be done, and truth is, we have known for a very long time how to do it. People have said to me as I was preparing this documentary – “Sanjay, you are advocating a radical change to the way we eat.” Perhaps, but if you really think about it, the way we eat now is in fact more radical. And when we look back on this time, a couple of hundred years from now, I guarantee you that our diet of today will be considered one of the most radical in history.

If we collectively ever want to get to the point where we have “The Last Heart Attack,” a good start would be to stop ignoring what we already know to be true.

Quote from the article: “researchers should expect that mouse, and probably other animal testing, is of little use in advancing the treatment of human illnesses, including heart disease and cancer.

In other words, the public is probably being badly served by much of the money spent on medical research. According to PCRM’s Kristie Sullivan, “the National Institutes of Health is giving researchers billions of dollars every year for research on animals”. While missing out on potential cures, the public is also likely being exposed to dangerous or ineffective pharmaceuticals. Animal testing nearly prevented the approval of valuable drugs such as penicillin and subsequent antibiotics, but it did not prevent the thalidomide disaster of the 50s and 60s (Greek and Swingle Greek, 2003).”

For Kladar, charity starts at home. As a five-year volunteer with the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS), Kladar fosters dogs and puppies in need of a warm, safe place to stay when the shelter is full and while they’re waiting to be adopted. “Puppies are a lot of work,” Kladar says. “We’ll take three at a time. People think we’re crazy, but the alternative is horrible. These puppies get born outside and [could] freeze.”

Kladar’s involvement with the AARCS has grown, along with her understanding of what the organization does and what it hopes to do.

The charity started with its Rescue, Rehabilitate & Re-home program, which focused on foster care. The organization’s programs have grown to include a spay/ neuter initiative, a disease-prevention program, emergency medical care and shelter, and a humane education project.

The AARCS also reaches into communities that are off the beaten path, Kladar says, and that need a helping hand. For example, the organization works with First Nations communities across Alberta to address animal issues and offer shelter for homeless cats and dogs.

These initiatives, Kladar says, are only the beginning. One goal is to mirror the kind of work carried out by the Best Friends Animal Society in the U.S. In addition to animal adoption, spay/neuter and other local programs, the U.S. group operates the continent’s largest “no kill” sanctuary in Angel Canyon, Utah. There, animals receive everything they need, physically, emotionally and psychologically, to thrive and to find good homes.

Kladar, who grew up on a farm in the former Yugoslavia, offers her time and compassion to the many animals that the AARCS seeks to protect until homes for them can be found. She also combines her passion for physical fitness with her love of four-footed friends. She participates in endurance competitions — most recently, the Ironman Canada — to raise money for her favourite charity. “That one event,” she says, “raised $5,000.”

Kladar’s next fundraising endeavour, in May, is called “100 for 100.”

“I’m going to run 100 kilometres,” she says, “to save 100 animals for two charities.” One charity is the AARCS; the other is the Rescue and Sanctuary for Threatened Animals, which runs a sanctuary in De Winton, Alta., for abandoned and abused animals, with an emphasis on farm-animal rescues.

All animal shelters rely on advocacy and education to help them attain their goals. It’s an approach that Kladar, a certified investment manager, also uses in her professional life. In particular, she says, her investment business, which she operates under the name Kladar Wealth Advisory Group, specializes in retirement, capital preservation and tax-efficient income, with a focus on women clients.

“A lot of our clients are interested in charitable giving,” Kladar says, and many lend their support to the AARCS.

A growing area of interest for many clients is in creating a foundation for their wealth. “Through TD, we can actually form a foundation with no cost,” Kladar says, adding that her clients’ focus on giving back requires her, as their investment advisor, to understand the charitable sector and its importance in clients’ lives.

That importance, Kladar believes, goes well beyond financial considerations and a desire to help. “By focusing on compassion and those who need us the most,” she says, “we become gentler people. We become more caring.”

Currently, Kladar is adjusting to life with a new addition to the family: a puppy named Drizella. One of a trio named after Disney characters that Kladar recently fostered, Drizella found her permanent home without ever leaving what was expected to be temporary shelter.

One reason for the adoption was the puppy’s personality, which Kladar felt would be a good influence on the other animals she cares for. “She’s really calm,” Kladar says. “We thought she would help the other [dogs under foster care].”

There’s no doubt more dogs will benefit from Kladar’s kindness. “It is my true passion,” she says. “We have an obligation to give to those who need us the most.”

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Have you heard of the 100for100.me Movement yet?

100for100.me

100for100.memovement is YOUR opportunity to get in shape while joining a great cause!

100for100.memovement is running 100 km to save 100 animals!

This movement was founded by Andrea Kladar, a Chartered Investment Manager in Calgary, AB, who has committed to running 100 km in under 12 hours on May 11, 2013 on Vancouver Island. Andrea has committed to raising $10,000 to save 100 animals for three charities: AARCS, Pound Rescue and RASTA.

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YOU can be one of the 100 people to join the movement by entering one of the following three levels:

Level 1 – Kitten Level

You commit to running or walking 100 km over a three month period (that’s just over 1 km per day! Most people who walk their dog every day cover about 2 km per day). During this time you must raise a minimum of $100 to save an animal.

Level 2 – Doggie Level

You commit to running or walking 100 km over a two month period. During this time you must raise a minimum of $100 to save an animal.

Level 3 – Donkey Level

You commit to running or walking 100 km over a one month period. During this time you must raise a minimum of $100 to save an animal.

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Regardless of the level you enter, you will get your very own fundraising page where you will report your running/walking progress, see how much money you raised and where people can congratulate you.

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A friend of mine sent me this great article. Here’s the entire write up for your convenience. The link to the original article is posted below.

People who exercise on a regular basis up to the age of 80 have the same aerobic capacity as someone half their age, says a new study from Ball State University.

Elderly people running in Masters Games

“New Records in Aerobic Power Among Octogenarian Lifelong Endurance Athletes,” a Ball State research project conducted in collaboration with several Swedish researchers, found that the long-time athletes in the study are enjoying vibrant and healthy lives. The study was recently published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

“In this case, 80 is the new 40,” said the study’s lead author Scott Trappe, director of Ball State’s Human Performance Laboratory (HPL). “These athletes are not who we think of when we consider 80-year-olds because they are in fantastic shape. They are simply incredible, happy people who enjoy life and are living it to the fullest. They are still actively engaged in competitive events.”

Researchers examined nine endurance athletes from northern Sweden and compared them to a group of healthy men from Indiana in the same age group who only performed the activities of daily living with no history of structured exercise.

The endurance athletes were cross-country skiers, including a former Olympic champion and several national/regional champions with a history of aerobic exercise and participation in endurance events throughout their lives. The athletes exercised four to six times a week, averaging 3,700 more steps per day than the non-exercisers.

Members of the two study groups rode exercise bikes as researchers measured oxygen uptake. When the participants reached total exhaustion, they had reached maximum oxygen uptake (also known as VO2 max). Skeletal muscle biopsies were then taken to measure the capacity of their mitochondria, the aerobic base of their muscle and other cells.

The study also found the endurance athletes established new upper limits for aerobic power in men 80-91 years old, including a maximum oxygen uptake that was nearly twice that of untrained men their age.

“To our knowledge, the VO2 max of the lifelong endurance athletes was the highest recorded in humans in this age group, and comparable to nonendurance-trained men 40 years younger,” Trappe said. “We also analyzed the aerobic capacity of their muscles by examining biopsies taken from thigh muscles, and found it was about double that of typical men. In fact, the oldest gentleman was 91 years old, but his aerobic capacity resembles that of a man 50 years younger. It was absolutely astounding.”

A person’s VO2 max is a proving to be a better predictor of mortality than many better-known cardiovascular risk factors, Trappe said. Based upon the VO2max findings, the lifelong exercisers have a 50 percent lower all-cause mortality risk compared to the untrained men.

The current research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Examining the potential for exercise to improve the quality of life for America’s aging population has been a cornerstone of research for HPL.

Trappe said the study fills in an important knowledge gap for aerobic capacity, given that individuals living beyond 80 are the fastest expanding age demographic in our society.

“Since we are living longer, our research indicates that lifelong exercise enhances physical capacity, has powerful anti-aging effects, and emphasizes that exercise is medicine, Trappe said. “If we can get people to embrace some sort of regular exercise routine, we can improve their lives.”

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How food scientists are reinventing meat – and how it can benefit everyone

Bill Gates on the Future of Food. How food scientists are reinventing meat – and how it can benefit everyone

The global demand for meat has been rising but this is an unsustainable trend for many reasons. It is estimated that if everyone was to eat the way North American’s do, we would need five planet Earths.

This is why Bill Gates is investing in the science of plant based food – meat alternatives that taste like meat but are healthier for you and sustainable.

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Neal Barnard MD discusses the science behind food addictions. Willpower is not to blame: chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar release opiate-like substances. Dr. Barnard also discusses how industry, aided by government, exploits these natural cravings, pushing us to eat more and more unhealthy foods. A plant-based diet is the solution to avoid many of these problems. Neal Barnard is the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

Are you addicted to anything? Please let me know by leaving a reply below.

You start running and a minute later you’re winded. You stop and walk. You think “I suck, I’m so out of shape, I’m too fat for running, running is not for me, I can never do this”.

SLOW DOWN!

You don’t suck, you’re not too fat for running, you can be a runner. Just slow down. Doesn’t matter how embarrassingly slow you look, the first 4 weeks of running needs to be all about building your endurance and endurance cannot be built with sprints (sprints serve another purpose which we will talk about later).

When I started, I literally couldn’t run for longer than 2 minutes. So run (slowly) for 2 minutes, then walk for 1 minute, run for 2, walk for 1 and keep repeating for 30 min per day to start. Within 3 weeks, training 4-5 times per week, you’ll be able to run the entire 30 min. Your quickest gains come in the first 3 weeks.

Forgive yourself for running slow and get out there.

Do you know what slow means for you? How do you know what is an easy, moderate or hard effort?
Please let me know by leaving a reply below.

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What about running shoes? You’ve decided to start running and you keep hearing all kinds of different ideas about what type of shoes to get.

Here’s what I’ve found works for me – footwear. Yup, simply footwear. Basically any type of shoe can hurt you or help you. I’ve tried all kinds of shoes – cushioned, very cushioned, very thin, the barefoot running shoe (or as I like to call them “the creepy toe shoes”) etc. All of them have failed to work for me at one point and all of them work for me now.

The reason for that is that the most important thing about shoes is how you run. Learn the basics first and this may be all that you need:

1. Keep a good, symmetrical posture.

2. Lean forward, not from the waist but from your ankles.

3. Land on your fore-foot (or mid-foot), not your heel.

4. Increase your cadence not your gate. In other words, your feet should hit the ground 90+ times per minute. If you want to run faster, increase the number of foot strikes per minute, don’t try to increase the length of your stride.

An interesting thing about the barefoot running shoe is that it teaches you in a hurry what you’re doing wrong – there’s no heel striking with it and you have no choice by to increase your cadence. Whatever you do though, don’t run long distances in them right away if you’re not used to running barefoot – my back and calves are speaking from experience here.